Grace Under Fire As a portrait of a single mom under comic siege, Grace Under Fire (ABC, Wednesdays, 9:30-10 p.m.) is adept enough, but it certainly doesn't warrant the...Grace Under FireComedy As a portrait of a single mom under comic siege, Grace Under Fire (ABC, Wednesdays, 9:30-10 p.m.) is adept enough, but it certainly doesn't warrant the...1993-10-01

As a portrait of a single mom under comic siege, Grace Under Fire (ABC, Wednesdays, 9:30-10 p.m.) is adept enough, but it certainly doesn’t warrant the next-big-thing hype it has attracted. Stand-up comedian Brett Butler is the show’s star, and her sleepy eyes and slow Southern accent soften the frequently bitter sarcasm that Grace directs at her rather baffled-looking children. Lines like ”I’m 35, I have three kids, and I can hide a can of cat food under each breast” are supposed to convey the show’s Rose-anne-like realism, but too often, such vaguely depressing humor just makes me want to channel-surf in search of more upbeat escapism. C+